Chapter 9 Encounter with an old mocker

[ First touch Registered ]

[ Item: Hublot Big Bang Watch ]

[ Estimated Value: $930,000 ]

[ Reward Granted. $930,000 Has been credited to Host’s Account ]

[ Remaining Daily Touche. 1 out of 2 ]

Jay felt his phone vibrate inside his pocket almost immediately from the credit alert.

"Oh my god... Jay muttered inwardly with the joy of just receiving that huge amount of money in his account.

But just as he was silently celebrating the massive achievement, another thought suddenly flashed across his mind.

"Wait, what if I use the second touch this moment and get double the value? Jay thought to himself, and the idea instantly sounded brilliant in his head.

Without hesitation, while his hand was still in contact with the luxury watch, Jay instinctively attempted to activate his touch again.

[ Ding! ]

[ Target Item Is Invalid. ]

Jay’s expression froze for a moment.

"Whaa, wha. What the hell.” he quickly muttered under his breath, with confusion spreading visibly across his face.

The sudden change in his expression immediately caught the manager’s attention.

“Sir, is everything alright?” the manager asked carefully, with his brows narrowing slightly concern.

Noticing the man's focus stare, Jay quickly forced out an awkward cough and withdrew his hand from the watch.

"Ahem. ahem."

“Yeah. yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, doing his best to calm himself internally.

But inside his mind, countless thoughts were already racing wildly.

Invalid?

Why invalid?

Did that mean each item could only be used once?

Or perhaps the system prevented duplicate rewards from the same object entirely?

If that were true, then it meant he couldn't repeatedly exploit the same expensive item for endless rewards.

Jay’s excitement cooled slightly as he silently processed the information.

Just then, one of the security guards hurried over and leaned close to the manager, whispering something into his ear.

The manager's eyes widened ever so slightly.

“Let him in,” the manager said immediately.

The guard nodded and stepped away.

“Please excuse me for a moment, sir,” the manager said politely to Jay. “One of our distinguished VIP clients has arrived.”

The fact that the manager himself was personally going to receive the guest showed just how important this person was.

Jay watched quietly as the manager walked toward the entrance of the VIP section.

“Welcome back, Mr Carter,” the manager greeted respectfully the moment the special customer stepped inside.

Hearing that surname instantly caught Jay’s attention.

His brows furrowed slightly as he turned his head for a better look, wondering if he had heard wrong.

The moment he saw the so-called special VIP client striding into the store with an air of arrogance, accompanied by a beautiful woman in an elegant red dress, Jay’s expression stiffened.

The Special VIP client had clearly recognized him as well the moment he stepped in.

Jay immediately felt a wave of discomfort at the sight of him, but he quickly forced his emotions back under control.

The VIP customer was none other than Hale Carter.

Years ago, the two of them had attended the same college before Jay was forced to drop out because he could no longer afford the tuition fees.

And unfortunately, Hale was one of the people Jay hated the most.

Back in college, Hale had made a sport out of humiliating him.

He constantly mocked Jay's worn-out clothes, ridiculed him for taking part-time jobs to survive, and never missed an opportunity to remind everyone how poor he was.

The worst part was that Hale came from a wealthy family, which meant most students were eager to stay on his good side. Whenever he mocked Jay, people laughed along rather than risk becoming the next target themselves.

Even now, years later, the smug expression on Hale's face hadn't changed in the slightest.

If anything, it had gotten worse.

And as if that history wasn't enough, Jay had run into him just five days ago at Estana Restaurant while working as a waiter. Hale had mocked him mercilessly in front of customers and staff alike, treating him like a joke for his own amusement.

So seeing him again here of all places instantly soured Jay's mood.

Hale stared at him for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter.

“Well, I'll be damned.”

He shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked loudly. “Don't tell me you quit your waiter job just to apply as a staff member here?”

The beautiful woman beside him who was unmistakably his girlfriend, immediately covered her mouth and laughed softly.

Meanwhile, the manager looked between the two men in confusion.

“You know each other, Mr Carter?” the manager asked carefully.

“Know him?” Hale sneered. “Of course I know him.”

He pointed directly at Jay without even attempting to lower his voice.

“This guy used to be a broke, hopeless moron back in college,” Hale said mockingly. “As a matter of fact, I saw him not too long ago working as a waiter. After all these years, he's still just as poor and pathetic as I remember.”

The atmosphere inside the VIP area immediately became awkward.

Hale's girlfriend glanced at Jay with visible disdain before quietly chuckling to herself. Even some of the employees exchanged uncertain looks after hearing Hale's confident remarks.

“Let me guess,” Hale continued arrogantly as he casually placed a hand on the manager's shoulder. “He's here applying for a staff position?”

A smug grin spread across his face.

“Honestly, let me give you some advice,” he added shamelessly. “Just give him a toilet-cleaning job or something.”

He looked Jay up and down before letting out a light laugh.

“I mean, just take a good look at him. He's not even worthy of being regular staff in a place like this.”

The manager frowned slightly before calmly correcting him.

“I think you're mistaken, Mr Carter,” he said professionally. “This gentleman is one of our exceptional customers. He's currently interested in adding one of our finest pieces to his collection.”

For a brief second, Hale stared at the manager in disbelief before suddenly bursting into loud laughter.

“Hahahaha!”

“That can’t possibly be true!”

He pointed at Jay again as though he had just heard the funniest joke of his life.

“This guy is poor!” Hale declared confidently. “Manager Lewis, you seriously need to be careful. He might be here to steal something if he isn't applying for a job.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere instantly turned tense.

The nearby security guards subtly adjusted their posture while watching Jay more carefully.

But throughout it all, Jay remained completely calm.

Instead of reacting angrily to the insult, he simply sat there in silence, staring at Hale for a few seconds before Jay slowly turned his attention back to the luxury watch resting inside the display case.

“Actually...” he said casually.

“I'm not really interested in this piece.”

The room fell silent.

Jay's gaze remained fixed on the collection before he calmly added,

“Show me the most expensive watch you have in your possession.”

Hale's mocking smile stiffened slightly upon hearing that.

Meanwhile, Manager Lewis found himself becoming increasingly curious about Jay despite everything Hale had said.

After all, if Jay truly intended to steal something, as Hale claimed, then coming to the VIP section would be an incredibly foolish idea.

There was simply no way anyone could escape after attempting a theft here. The VIP area had armed security personnel stationed at every exit, advanced surveillance systems, and procedures specifically designed to protect items worth hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of dollars.

Besides, throughout the entire confrontation, Jay had shown no nervousness at all but only confidence.

Manager Lewis studied him silently for a few seconds before finally nodding slowly.

“Very well, sir,” he replied professionally. “Please wait a moment.”

Without another word, the manager turned around and walked toward the back section of the VIP room.

The atmosphere remained tense after he left, while hale folded his arms staring at Jay with disguise.

“how dear a loser like you?” he sneered. “Do you even know where you are?”

Jay ignored him completely and that self of act only annoyed Hale even more.

A few moments later, Manager Lewis returned carrying another metallic suitcase similar to the first one.

However, unlike before, this case was noticeably different.

The material looked darker, heavier, and more sophisticated. There were even additional locking mechanisms attached to its sides, clearly showing that whatever was inside was on an entirely different level.

The moment the suitcase appeared, even Hale’s expression changed slightly.

“Wait,” Hale muttered. “Manager Lewis, are you seriously about to show him more of your finest piece?”

Manager Lewis didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he calmly placed the suitcase on the table before entering another security passcode and his fingerprint opening it. and instantly, the entire room seemed to dim before the brilliance of the watch inside.

Even Jay’s eyes widened slightly.

Resting quietly on the black velvet interior was a breathtaking wristwatch unlike anything he had ever seen before.

The body of the watch was crafted from black sapphire crystal with a skeletonized design that exposed its incredibly complex inner mechanics. Tiny diamonds were embedded around the bezel while the straps looked to be made from some kind of rare exotic material.

Under the soft lighting, the watch looked less like jewelry and more like a masterpiece.

“This,” Manager Lewis said slowly, with his voice carrying obvious pride, “is one of only three ever made in the entire world.”

Even the nearby staff unconsciously straightened themselves after hearing that.

“It is the most valuable luxury item currently in our possession.”

Manager Lewis carefully looked toward Jay before continuing.

“The estimated value of this master piece is prized at approximately 2.8 million dollars.”

Hale gasped softly almost chocking from hearing the prize of the antique.